Chapter One

He is fresh out of law school, and law school graduate Jaelyn Lammingham, the youngest in his class at his law school who graduated with top honors and a high score GPA, had a doctor's appointment that morning at a hospital downtown in Idaho and he was still all alone and afraid for his life.

Just a couple weeks after graduating from law school, he started experiencing easy bruising, unexpected weight loss and nosebleeds. Also feeling tired more than usual but he'd thought it was because he was overworked from studying for the bar exam and after being given the news from his doctor at the hospital telling Jaelyn has cancer—Jaelyn was literally in shock and started to get emotional over the devastating news.

He's so young and such a hard worker that everybody knows he was and Jaelyn doesn't know what to do. His doctor wanted for him to start treatment immediately so his cancer doesn't metastasis and spread all over his body. Given a 35% chance of survival and requiring chemotherapy, radiation and surgery, Jaelyn asked himself questions, and one of them is why? Why him? Why did he have to get sick? He is so young and is one step closer to becoming a lawyer.

Now that he may not get a chance to practice law at a law firm, he wonders if he ever will if he's ever in remission. Jaelyn was afraid for his life and the other question is—how is he gonna tell his parents and his little brother Evan?  Once Jaelyn left the office and eventually left the hospital, he got into his car and after walking up to his car and sitting inside the car in the driver's seat, he slammed the door because he's angry and scared. He was panting and was breathing heavily.

Jaelyn took a deep breath and sighed, and he took out his iPhone from his pocket and he looked at the screen of his phone and he went to his contacts to call his mother. Jaelyn needs his mother. Jaelyn doesn't know how to tell his mother that he's sick. Jaelyn is dying of cancer and he knows it. So he decides to call his mother Leah Lammingham, and clicked on her phone number of the contact information and he placed his phone against his ear and waited for his mother to pick up the phone.

"Hello?" Leah said, after picking up her phone and answering her son's phone call.

"Hey mom, it's me," Jaelyn answered his mother.

"Hey honey! How are you?!" Leah wondered, in excitement.

Jaelyn sighed and said, "Oh um, I think I need to come home for a couple weeks. I um, won't be able to take the bar exam for another three weeks so is it okay if I can come home and visit for a while before I take my bar exam? I just miss you, and I'm a bit homesick."

"Is everything okay?" Leah asked.

"Yeah, mom. Everything is fine. I'm just a little homesick," answered Jaelyn.

"Yeah honey, I'll be more than happy to see you again. I know it's been six months since graduation and I'm just glad you get to come home and visit this time. Your dad and I have missed you." Leah said, chuckling.

"Well I don't know about dad. But I'm gonna go to my house and uh pack my stuff. I should be home later tonight or tomorrow morning," says Jaelyn.

"Yeah, yeah. That will be great. I'll see you when you get here honey," says Leah.

"Okay, I'll see you later, mom. I love you." Jaelyn said.

"I love you too, drive safe, okay," answered Leah.

"Okay," answered Jaelyn.

He eventually hung up on his mother before he cleared his throat and placed his phone into the cup holder and cranked up his car with his car keys and left the parking lot of the hospital after pulling the gear in drive and pressing on his gas pedal. While headed on the highway, Jaelyn was driving his car and it was currently night time. He had been driving for almost eight hours since his parents and his little brother Evan lived in Pennsylvania.

About five years ago a freak accident left his parents in a state of shock. Nineteen year old Jaelyn had accidentally killed their youngest daughter Olivia Lannigham when she was six months old and she fell down a flight of stairs and hit her head. Olivia died the night Jaelyn wasn't watching her. He had accidentally stopped watching her before he was paying attention to his television and talking to his girlfriend Eva Roaden who lived next door to him over the phone and until he realized that Olivia had wandered off in her Winnie the Pooh baby walker. Olivia lost her balance and fell down the stairs.

Immediately Jaelyn was in shock and he called 911 and until the paramedics came into his house to check on Olivia  and his girlfriend Eva had come over to his house as well to check on Jaelyn and his parents had rushed home after going on a date and his little brother Evan was at a friend's sleepover. Panicked and scared, Jaelyn was crying and begging for Olivia to regain consciousness. But it was too late.

Once Jaelyn had made it to Pennsylvania, he pulled into the driveway of his parent's house and sighed after he pulled the gear in park and taking his foot off the gas pedal before taking off his safety belt and then opening the door and getting out of his driver's seat after turning off his car with his car keys and eventually walking to his trunk and grabbing his suitcase and taking his suitcase out of his car before placing it on the ground. Jaelyn eventually closed the trunk before he heard his little fifteen year old brother Evan running out of their house and shouted, "Jaelyn, you're home," in excitement.

"Hey buddy," says Jaelyn, smiling at his little brother. They'd hugged each other so tight that Jaelyn didn't want to let him go. Jaelyn and Evan have such a bond over their relationship. They'd not only be brothers but they'd be best friends. Evan loves his big brother and he looks up to his big brother as his best friend and mentor.

Jaelyn hasn't seen his little brother Evan since graduating from law school six months ago in December before Christmas and now they have reunited once again. Jaelyn and Evan did everything together growing up. They may be nine years apart, but they love each other and they keep each other company.

"Hey, let me help you with your suitcase." Evan said, while grabbing Jaelyn's suitcase and carrying it to his house.

Jaelyn sighed and he looked around his neighborhood before he walked to his house and after walking to his house and then entering his house, he shuts the door and Evan had already placed his suitcase into Jaelyn's childhood room before he walked back into the living room. His mother Leah came walking into the living room and smiled at her oldest son before she hugged her firstborn and welcomed Jaelyn home.

"Welcome home, sweetheart," says Leah, before she kisses her son's forehead and smiles at him after glancing at him.

"Come on, sit down," says Leah, before she turns away from Jaelyn and sits on the couch in the living room.

Jaelyn sat next to his mother and sighed. Evan sat across from Jaelyn and his mother on a recliner. He smiled at Jaelyn because he was glad his big brother was home. "So how's studying for the bar exam coming along?" Leah asked. Jaelyn sighed and said, "Oh uh, I think it's going well. I'd just been trying to memorize everything trying to be sure I could remember everything before the bar exam in three weeks. I'd just needed a break from studying so much. I hope it's okay that I'm here." Jaelyn said.

"Yeah, it's great honey. I love the idea that you're here! I mean I would appreciate that your father would be more supportive that you're back home. But since the accident....," Jaelyn interrupted Leah, "He still hates me." Leah sighed and said, "No sweetheart. He doesn't hate you." Leah said to her son Jaelyn.

"He didn't even come to my graduation." Jaelyn said.

"But Evan and I did. Look, I know that you and your father haven't talked since the accident. But I am gonna do everything I can to get your father to understand that Olivia's death was an accident. I tried to tell him that it was an accident ever since that night. You know the police even confirmed it was an accidental death. Your father just tends to have a hard time understanding that. I don't know why." Leah said.

Jaelyn swallowed nervously and sighed before he looked at his mother. "I am not gonna let your father ruin your visit. He needs to understand that you're family and that Olivia's death was not your fault." Leah said once again, continuing the conversation. Jaelyn nodded his head and said, "Yeah." Leah smiled at her son once again and Evan sighed and said, "Oh, I think dad just made it back home. I hear him pulling into the driveway," Evan said.

Dash Lanningham works the night shift and he comes home in the morning. He has recently lost his job as an accountant and now works as a barista serving coffee for his customers. He hates his job. Dash is still upset about the death of Olivia and he hasn't gotten over it yet.

Olivia's death really hit him hard and he's been grieving over the past five years. Olivia would have been five years old by now if she was still alive. Jaelyn was also grieving and he and Olivia shared the same birthday. Jaelyn heard the door open and he saw his father walking into the house looking all tired and depressed. He was afraid of how his father would react once he saw Jaelyn in his house.

After Dash shuts the door, he turns and glances at Jaelyn and he doesn't say a word. But then Dash looked at Leah, his wife, before he asked her what Jaelyn was doing back home. Leah sighed and said, "Honey, Jaelyn is here to visit for just a couple weeks. He missed us." Jaelyn sighed and said, "Yeah, um, I'd just missed you and mom." He softly chuckled. "No. No. I can't look at you right now." Dash said before heading up the stairs and heading to his bedroom.

"Dash?!" Leah shouted, while frowning.

"You know what I think this was a bad idea," answered Jaelyn.

"No. No. I'll have a talk with him. I'll be right back." Leah stood up from the couch and she headed up the stairs before walking into the bedroom.

Leah shuts the door. Jaelyn and Evan overheard their parents arguing and Jaelyn knew he would cause more pain to his father if he'd visited them. The arguing continued and Jaelyn sighed. He felt guilty for losing Olivia and making matters worse. Evan asked his big brother Jaelyn a question.

"Do you want to see some of my collections?"

Jaelyn sighed and nodded his head without saying a word. Eventually Jaelyn and Evan headed up the stairs and this time they went to Evan's bedroom. It was nighttime and Jaelyn was in his bedroom sitting on the edge of his bed with a towel wrapped around his waist. He had already taken a shower and he couldn't stop thinking about the night of the accident.

Jaelyn's flashback continued and in his flashback—he witnessed his sister's deceased body lying on the ground at the bottom of the stairs in the basement. After the flashback ended, he closed his eyes and swallowed. He heard the door knock and it was Evan who asked Jaelyn  if he could come into his bedroom.

"Yeah," answered Jaelyn, opening his eyes. Evan opened the door and Jaelyn glanced at Evan.

"Hey, I just wanted to wish you a good night." Evan said.

Jaelyn smiled at Evan and said, "Hmph. Good night bud." Jaelyn said.

"I love you." Evan answered.

"You too," answered Jaelyn.

Evan shuts the door before he turns around and heads to his bedroom.  A sad looking Jaelyn stood up from his bed and he leaned over to the side of the footboard of his bed and got lightheaded and his head started spinning.

Jaelyn closed his eyes and he slowly sat back down on his bed. Jaelyn took his fingers and he rubbed his eyes. He just continued to sit on the edge of his bed with his eyes closed.

He leaned forward this time and opened his eyes once again before looking down at the wooden floor. Jaelyn frustratedly closed his eyes once again before he took both his hands this time and covered his eyes.